Jan. 9: Doing What You Thought You Couldn’t

“I have fears…big ones, little ones, medium ones…served up like different size fries you order at McDonald’s,” wrote singer/songwriter Brooke White on her blog.

The former American Idol contestant and current member of the band Jack and White revealed that one of her medium-sized fears has always been singing the national anthem at a sporting event. “Not because of a lack of patriotism,” she explained. “Indeed I’m proud to be an American. [But] I’ve always believed I lacked the capability to sing it in a way that is respectful to the tune in front of stadiums of people.”

In December 2011, to fulfill her husband’s dream of enjoying floor seats and meeting players at a Phoenix Suns basketball game, White finally agreed to sing the anthem before the game. After a full day of prayers and preparation, she sang the song perfectly, drawing cheers from the crowd.

White concluded, “I don’t like facing my fears…But there [is] something I dislike even more, and that is being controlled by fear because it usually means that I miss out on opportunities, that I don’t become what I’m supposed to become…There is nothing quite like doing the thing you thought you couldn’t do.”